Education, From The Capitol To The Classroom

Stories about students: How does education policy affect the way students learn and grow? Can schools meet their needs as they balance ramped-up testing with personal changes and busy schedules? And are students who need help getting it?

Stories about educators: How are those responsible for implementing education policy in schools − from classroom teachers, to district administrators, to school board members − affected by changes at the top? And how well do they meet their challenge of reaching students with varying abilities and needs?

Stories about school assessment: With an increased push for 'accountability' in schools, what can test scores tell us about teacher effectiveness and student learning − and what can't they tell us? What does the data say about how schools at all levels are performing?

Stories about government influence: Who are the people and groups most instrumental in crafting education policy? What are their priorities and agendas? And how do they work together when they disagree?

Stories about money: How do local, state, and federal governments pay to support the education policies they craft? How do direct costs of going to school − from textbooks to tuition − hit a parent or student's bottom line? And how do changing budgets and funding formulas affect learning and teaching?

IU Gives Staff Salaries A Bump

June 23, 2011 | 3:32 PM

IU employee salaries could see a slight bump if trustees meeting in South Bend approve next year’s budget, president Michael McRobbie announced Thursday.

The budget includes funds for a 1.5 percent employee salary increase, and a “1 percent pool” to retain faculty at IUPUI and the Bloomington campus.

In an e-mail to employees, McRobbie said he regrets not being able to increase salaries even more.

“Over the past three years, we have experienced a cumulative $90 million loss of state funding, and we are seeing costs continuing to rise faster than inflation for both employee health coverage and campus utilities,” McRobbie said.